Kolb to start Sunday

Jonathan Tamari and Jeff McLane

Posted:
Thursday, December 30, 2010, 12:56 PM

Kevin Kolb will start against the Cowboys Sunday, according to team sources.

Publicly, the team wouldn't commit, but Kolb said he took the first team repetitions in the morning walk through. With only two days of practice before Sunday's game, that's a pretty good indication that Kolb will be starting in place of Michael Vick, who has a bruised quad and could probably use the rest.

"I’m just preparing like I’m going to be (starting) and that way I’m ready to go if that’s what’s called," Kolb said.

After the loss Tuesday, Kolb and several coaches said they need to clean up the "details" of how they play.

"Really we're just missing by a hair here and there, but that’s the difference between winning and losing football games," Kolb said.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Andy Reid typically makes his decisions on who starts late in the week. Asked about his team's trouble protecting Vick Tuesday, Mornhinweg said there were a variety of problems including the line getting fooled by blitz disguises and blockers getting beat one-on-one. While protection starts with the offensive line, Mornhinweg said responsibility spreads throughout the offense.

"We’ve got to a better job across the board and it was not any one thing," Mornhinweg said.

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On defense, Ernie Sims remains the starting weak side linebacker, said defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. He said the team hasn't decided yet whether Dimitri Patterson or Joselio Hanson will start at right cornerback this week.

Akeem Jordan filled in for Sims in nickel situations Tuesday night.

Asked about changing his line up this late, McDermott said, "it has always been and always will be to put our players in a position to succeed and have the best players out there in those situation. If i feel like one defender is a better run defender, then I'll have that defender on the field when I feel that they're going to run the football, and the same goes in the passing game."

Patterson said he has to remain confident and accept whatever decision the coaches make. Hanson has often said he would like to start.

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The Eagles signed defensive end Bobby McCray Thursday and released Derrick Burgess. McCray was released by the Saints before the season. He played 12 games for the Saints in 2009 and had 1.5 sacks.

Burgess played sparingly Tuesday night.

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